ALTOONA, Pa. (WJAC) – Pennsylvania authorities are searching for a duck killer. Someone has been killing the feathered fowl at a popular park in the metro Altoona community of roaring springs.

It’s a natural spring pond always filled with fish and several species of ducks.

With plenty of benches along the banks, it’s a popular spot for many in the roaring spring community, but recently the Pennsylvania Game Commission says someone has been killing the ducks.

“Probably about the last two weeks, we’ve been getting reports of ducks being found dead, ducks being shot with both arrows, target arrows that you use for target archery and blow gun darts, wooden darts and steel darts,” said Officer Albert Zellner.

Officers believe the criminal activity has been going on for about two weeks, but say they’re finding more and more of these small darts as the snow melts and the ground begins to thaw. It’s not just a hazard for the wildlife, but for people in the community.

“What happens is they’ll lay straight up out of the mud like that and we have a lot of toddlers and youngsters down here that want to feed the ducks and look at the fish and that’s a four inch piece of sharpened steel. That’s not what you need here,” said Officer Zellner.

“There’s a pile of people who like to come in here. It’s a hot spot through the summer and even through the winter there’s always someone here,” said Joseph Dively.

Dively visits the park often and enjoys taking pictures of the ducks. He’s an avid hunter himself, but says there’s a time and place to go duck hunting.

“There’s a season for that and I don’t think its right what’s going on. It’s not a killing shot initially. It just wounds it. The duck jumps in the water. He can’t fly, he can’t get away and he just ends up dying in the water. It’s a slow and painful death,” said Dively.